Alcohol advertising scrutinised at meeting of health ministers
Tougher restrictions on alcohol advertising have been tabled at a meeting of the nation’s health ministers, with NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca presenting the idea in Brisbane on Friday.
The fete of alcohol advertising is now in the hands of the Ministerial Council on Drugs and a strategy group within the health ministers’ conference.
“There is a very important opportunity here for a serious debate,” Mr Della Bosca told reporters after the meeting. “The most important thing is all ministers recognise the health impact of binge drinking, all ministers recognise the importance of making sure that health is front and centre.”
He believes changes need to be made to ensure that alcohol related deaths, diseases and injuries can be reduced, easing the strain on emergency departments and cutting costs to taxpayers. “The numbers are very clear – the savings to the economy alone are measured in the billions,” Mr Della Bosca suggested.
